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Decoding Hit Song Vocals (Spring 2020)

DECODING HIT SONG VOCALS

The Patterns and Science Behind Today's Hits

Saturday, April 17th | 11AM - 3PM ET| Online

Hit Songs Deconstructed PRO Subscribers get 10% off this event.
SELECT AND PREMIER subscribers receive complimentary admission.
Click here to request your discount code.

Today’s hitmakers understand that
great music is made where art and science meet.

That’s why they combine their unique creativity with tried and true techniques for arranging their songs, composing earworm melodies, and writing lyrics that connect with widespread audiences.

If you want to compete at the highest levels, you need start using them too.

Sometimes you just can’t get a song out of your head…
want to know why?

In today’s musical landscape, stellar lyrics and a killer beat aren’t enough to get a song to the top of the charts.

Without super-infectious, strategically written and arranged melodies and hooks, a song simply won’t reach its full potential, no matter how great the lyrics or track are.

That’s why we hope you'll join us for this one-of-a-kind, hands-on, interactive workshop, where we pull back the curtain on the science and patterns behind today’s hit vocal melodies and the vocal delivery techniques that bring them to life.

Using the Hit Songs Deconstructed Five Pillars of Hit Song Vocals, this masterclass will provide you with unique insight and proven vocal melody and delivery techniques to channel your creativity into songs that can compete at the highest levels.

Using an array of both classic and current hit song case studies, this masterclass will cover:

  • Writing singable and infectious melodies
  • Turning infectious melodies into standout hooks
  • Techniques for strategically arranging melodies within and across sections
  • Using compelling vocal delivery techniques to make your melodies stand out and shine
  • Heightening emotional connection with your listeners through melodic devices
  • And much more!

Following the workshop, you will receive proprietary Hit Songs Deconstructed materials that will help you evaluate your melodies and apply the concepts and techniques learned to your own songs.

How will you benefit from this masterclass?

By attending this workshop, you will gain access to new tools that you can IMMEDIATELY START USING to take your music to the next level and channel your creativity into songs that can compete on the hit song stage.

You'll walk away with:

  • A new awareness of the melodic patterns that shape today’s biggest hits
  • A new approach to your writing process that combines your unique creativity with a methodical approach to maximize the impact of your songs
  • A new toolbox of proven techniques that will help take your melodies the next level
  • Materials that will allow you to quickly and decisively evaluate your melody's strengths and weaknesses

Your Host

Service Image

David Penn,
Co-Founder, Hit Songs Deconstructed

David is a recognized expert in the craft and trends behind hit songs and has been featured by Billboard, Variety, Music Week, Canadian Musician Radio, BMI, Financial Times, and the Economist, to name a few. He also regularly guest lectures at top universities such as Berklee College of Music, NYU, and Frost School of Music, as well as at industry events such as Music Biz, DIY Musician Conference and others.

A music connoisseur of all time periods and genres, he is a “go-to” consultant for songwriters, producers, publishers and labels.

"I loved the visualizations you guys have created - I’m sure those will come readily to mind when I’m in my next songwriting session." - DD

"My biggest takeaway was probably the strategic melodic structure (in particular the various in-section orderings). They really helped and I'm excited to implement them in my songs!" - JB

"Prosody and coherence of an artist image and a song. And a new insight on concept of nanohooks." - DM

"My biggest take away is the alternating melodic pattern and the subtlety of how to use it in different ways." - PG

"I liked the charts. They made it obvious how everything is interconnected like a matrix." - CO

"My biggest takeaway was the conscious and strategic approach to crafting melodies. EOLAs, limited concentration of tones in melodic sub-parts, repeat motifs - to name a few examples." - OL

"The Melodic Table and our first class session was a game changer. Melodic part structure supports not only the theme but the song itself. Herein lies the mojo of the song." - DJ

By applying the techniques you learn during this masterclass to your music, you will take your writing and producing skills to the next level, regardless of the genre you’re working in.

“Amazing workshop. Spot on with the analysis and relevant to any music theory, composer, songwriter, or producer in the game now. Bravo!”
– Dr. O, producer, 
Young M.A., Chris Brown, Lil Wayne

“The same day after attending my first workshop I was able to easily understand and fix my melody, and now my song is so much easier to sing and more memorable. Thank you Hit Songs Deconstructed!”
– Chris Ishoy, ASCAP songwriter and producer at Iplaydat Music

“For those of you concerned about producing and writing hit songs while staying current, this masterclass is for you. Wonderful insight into what makes these current hit songs appeal so well to the artists audience.”
– Atom Troy, Professor/Artist

“The masterclass was so informative! Seeing what I usually hear in a visual form really solidifies things. I love the multiple visual explanations!”
-Carrie Cunnignham, singer, songwriter, live sound engineer, auctioneer, CEO of Sound Barn Publishing

“Insight like no other into vocal melodic patterns of pop hit songs.”
– Pablo Arango

“This was one of the most thorough, well-presented and thought out master classes on pop writing I have ever experienced. It was also made user friendly by the teacher’s deep understanding of the music he was teaching about.”
– Jay Rodriguez, Grammy nominated musician, film composer, producer and arranger
Prince, Elvis Costello, Miley Cyrus, Celia Cruz, Tito Puente, Akon, Wu Tang Clan, DJ Premiere, Guru

“Thank you, I thoroughly enjoyed the workshop! Jam packed full of information. Presented in an easy to understand way with case studies to illustrate the points made. Highly recommended!”
-Diana Watt

“Hit Songs Deconstructed is in a class of its own. Shedding in-depth analysis for those ready to consume it. From singer songwriter through production, to industry and market trends. No one does it like HSD.”
– Andre Jarreau

“This is a great workshop and provides truly valuable tools.  I found myself wanting to just start writing.  It was inspirational.”
David Boller, Songwriter/Producer

Decoding Hit Song Vocals is for you if:

• You want to compete at the highest levels and attain continued commercial success
• You want new tools to evaluate your songs' strengths and weaknesses and help prime them for maximum impact
• You are ready to take the leap and combine your unique creativity with a little bit of science

Your registration includes:

  • The live four-hour workshop with plenty of time for Q&A
  • A copy of the presentation deck
  • Exclusive Hit Songs Deconstructed materials to assess your songs and optimize them for commercial success
  • Access to the workshop video

Limited Seats Available

Registration Price: $129 | Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Classes are between 2 - 3 hours long and take place online on Saturdays at 11AM EST on March 14, March 28, April 11, April 25, May 9, and May 23.

In between classes you will be asked to apply the techniques you learned to optimize the impact of one of your original songs.

Videos of each class will be made available to participants following each masterclass segment.

Your registration includes the live, online three-hour masterclass, Q&A throughout the masterclass, the presentation deck, and exclusive Hit Songs Deconstructed materials to assess your songs and optimize them for commercial success. A video of the class will also be made available to participants following the masterclass.

To attain the knowledge and skill required for continued commercial success, you have to treat your writing and producing like a business.

This means that you need to put in the time. You need to be disciplined. You need to continuously hone your craft, whether you feel inspired to or not. You need to stay in tune with how today’s music scene is evolving. And, most importantly, you need to understand how your music connects with your listeners.

By attending this masterclass, you'll come away with new insights, tools, and techniques that you can immediately apply to your own songwriting and producing.

Videos of the class will be made available to participants following each masterclass segment.

This means that you need to put in the time. You need to be disciplined. You need to continuously hone your craft, whether you feel inspired to or not. You need to stay in tune with how today’s music scene is evolving. And, most importantly, you need to understand how your music connects with your listeners.

Inside the Hit Song Matrix is for you if:
• You want to compete at the highest levels and attain continued commercial success
• You want new tools to evaluate your songs' strengths and weaknesses and help prime them for maximum impact
• You are ready to take the leap and combine your unique creativity with a little bit of science
• You are willing to devote time to virtually collaborate with other participants in between classes to apply the techniques covered

There are no shortcuts. But if you put the time into applying what you learn during this masterclass, you will take your writing and producing skills to the next level, regardless of the genre you’re working in.

"It has really helped with our writing and arranging. The leap we have taken has led our music to be playlisted at the Yankees, Islanders and also MSG! Crazy for an unsigned Irish band!"

Through an array of current Hot 100 Top 10 hit case studies, we will examine some of the most effective techniques that have been making hits so successful, independent of genre or the artist employing them.

Maximize Your Creativity with Tools and Techniques
from Today’s Hits that Have Stood the Test of Time!

Ever get that song stuck in your head and you don’t know why? Well, there's a very good reason. The human brain is conditioned to react in a certain way to certain things, and today's hitmakers know that. During this workshop, we are going to pull back the curtain on tried and true techniques for connecting with wide-spread audiences and keep them coming back for more.

Critical listening exercises are at the core of this workshop. Together, we will listen to examples from recent and past hits, deconstruct the techniques being utilized, and analyze why they are so effective.

You'll come away with new insights, tools, and techniques that you can immediately apply to your own songwriting and producing.

At the conclusion of each segment, there will be ample time for your questions.

Videos of all workshop segments will be made available following the workshop.

Join us for this masterclass where we pull back the curtain on the patterns behind today’s hits and the techniques being used by today's hitmakers.

Tyson Harding - Songwriter/Guitarist for Skyfever

Learn how to combine your unique creativity with the proven techniques today’s hitmakers are using to connect with wide-spread audiences and keep them coming back for more!

This live, online masterclass takes place over a 5-month period on Saturdays at 11AM EST.

Day 1: The Core Components

The workshop begins with a deep dive into vocal melody. We’ll start off by looking at an array of recent Hot 100 Top 10 choruses, ranging from the ultra-simplistic to the more complex. We’ll examine what these choruses have in common, what sets them apart, and how they are all optimized for maximum engagement, infectiousness and memorability. We’ll then hone in on one recent chart-topper to see how the vocal melody is optimized in each section of the song.

The lyric section follows, where we’ll focus on the narrative as well as rhymes, the glue between the melody and the lyrics. Using recent case studies across an array of popular lyrical themes, we’ll look at how the storyline is structured & developed across sections, and how it is optimized to connect with the listener.

Vocal production is next. We’ll take one recent chart-topper and go through the entire song while referencing a DAW arrangement outlining the song’s vocal production, and explore the techniques that were used to maximize the song’s vibe, increase memorability and amplify engagement. We’ll also review an array of popular duet/group vocal structure techniques.

We’ll then close out day 1 by exploring how harmony and strategic instrument selection can heighten a song’s impact through a host of recent Top 10 case studies.

DAY 2:  Optimizing Your Song for Maximum Impact

Day 2 is all about optimizing your song.  We’ll begin with structure and dive into key, tempo and song form, reviewing current trends and exploring how strategic structural decisions can impact your song. We’ll then move into energy and arrangement where we’ll use DAW projects to illustrate effective energy and arrangement flow to heighten engagement and memorability. We’ll conclude the segment with a host recent C.I.A. (chorus impact accentuator) techniques that will  help prime your choruses for maximum impact.

Next, we’ll dive into song section optimization techniques, honing in on three strategic points in a hit song – the intro, the “D” (departure) section, and the outro. We’ll look at an array of techniques from recent and classic hits, including “saying hello” to the listener with different types of hook-based and multi-part intros, providing an engaging and memorable departure through recycled and new material and A.P.M. (audience participation moment) techniques, and “saying goodbye” with a focus on effective outro techniques such as the “Ramp Down” and “Wind Up Grand Finale Hook Fest” techniques.

Hooks are next.  Using an array of recent and classic hit song examples, we’ll see how some of the most infectious, engaging and memorable hooks are structured and employed. Topics will include vocal hook techniques such as full section, partial section, “icing on the cake” hooks, instrumental hooks including foundational and melodic, and an array of hook maximization techniques.

We’ll conclude the workshop with methods for optimizing your song for today’s marketplace by looking at examples of recent hits and examining their genre/influence blend, instrument choices, vocal characteristics, lyrics, etc. and discussing how they leveraged trends to connect with their audience while transcending trends to stand out.

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